Putnam line

[Art from yonker's]

I heard of a train station at Carly Ave. Stop,i'd love to see some kind of photo's.What did they do with the put after it's last run???? I need more history and I feel this is the place for that.Later All...

[Tom Curtin]

What you're talking about is the Getty Square branch of the Put which was abandoned way back in 1943.  One of the stations on the branch was indeed Caryl Avenue (Note corrected spelling) which was, literally, just a few feet north of the NY City line in Yonkers.  There's a soon-to-be-published book Forgotten Railroads through Westrchester by Otto Vondrak which will tell you more about that line.

[Art from yonker's]

Thank you for your imformation, and i'll will look in to the book.I just think that it's more of an untapped area of old put history.The area i was talking about is an area that is now a parking lot and i think the station was an old house on saratoga ave. that still exists. If you ever drive down that parking lot it's kinda funny as you go down the lot, there is a huge gate that blocks the entrance to the dirt road,that was the old put,but they never really did anything with it , and it far to dangerous an area to make a walking path.My interest level is so high with the Put and i'm interested in pictures.Thank you for the info.

[Tom Curtin]

Untapped, yes!

There was a previous book called The Putnam Division: New York Central's Bygone Route through Westchester County by Dan Gallo and frederick Kramer, published in the early 80s and long out of print --- although you may be able to locate one from a book dealer or on ebay.  It is well researched and well done.  It contains photos of all --- I think all --- stations on the Getty Sq. branch.  For all I know, Otto's upcoming book may have the same or similar photos.

If you could see those photos you could probably determine whether the
"old house" you're referring to is Caryl station, or Lowerre, which was a little farther north.

I have seen the parking area you refer to but have never driven into it. 

 

[Art from yonker's]

Thank you once again Tom.

So did they scrap the train?

Where is some history of it, besides the plaques at the walking trail area's?

 

[Tom Curtin]

The Getty Sq. branch was abandoned in 1943 --- I presume because it was unnecessary.  The stations on the branch were all fairly near stations on the Hudson Div., such as Yonkers, Ludlow, Riverdale.  Although the branch was electrified it never had through trains into GCT --- you had to change to the Hudson in The Bronx just as on any Putnam Div. train.

The Putnam Division itself had passenger service until mid 1958 and freight until about the mid 1970s

 

[daveklepper]

All Putnam commuters into Manhattan had two options.   This included the trains from Brewster and Yorktown Heights, arch roof commuter cars with head-end lighting hauled by 4-6-0's, and the short mu trains from Getty's Square:  Change to a Hudson Division mu at High Bridge station in the Bronx, OR continue to the two-track stub terminal at Sedgewick Avenue and about 162nd Street to a 9th or 6th Avenue (latter running from the Bronx only during rush hours) elevated express.   If you worked on the West Sidem, the latter option made more sense.  The Getty's Square branch provided day-long rapid transit style service with trains at least every hour during the mid-day, far more frequent than the steam trains north to YOrktown Heights and Brewster.   In 1940, the 9th Avenue el was abandoned south of 155th Street, where one could change with free transfer to an 8th Avenue local with the possibility of another change to an express at 145th or 125th Street.  Riding on all Putnam trains fell off, and particularly on the Getty's Square Branch, which was about 1.5 miles from the Hudson Division main line.   It was double tracked, and the main line north of Van Coiurtland Park Junction was single.  Abandonment freed up commuter mu's to meet increasing ridership on the main line Hudson Division.  With the move of the New Yor Giants from the Polo Grounds at 155th Street and the abandonment of the remaining Putnam passenger service (then in the hands of Alco Road Switchers but with the same old non-air-conditoned coaches), the remainder of the 9th Avenue el, the "Polo Grounds shuttle" was also abandoned.   The construction of the Major Deagan Expressway wiped out lots of the Putnam ROW and much of the Morris Heights yard.

[Art from yonker's]

  What happened to the old put after it's last run in 68? I hope the new book has alot of photo's.

[Tom Curtin]

A couple of things.  I recently discovered there will be two new books, The Old Put by Joe Schiavone and Forgoteen Railroads of Westchester by Otto Vondrak.

RE your last post,  passenger operations ended in 1958, not 68.  The line was kept intact for freight into 1962 because it was a good "high and wide" route into New York.   After that it began to be dismembered a few miles at a time, as local freight customers ceased, on approximately the following schedule:

Lake MAhopac-East View  1962

Carmel-Lake Mahopac 1969

Putnam Jct.-Carmel 1970

The Bronx-East View 1976

I am not sure of all those dates, most of them are estimates.

 

[Art from yonker's]

Some of the coolest things that are still on the path's, is the bridge at the saw mill parkway exit.It is such an old school train bridge,i plan on taking a picture of it ,if I can get down that far.It's about 50feet high and they put a fence on each side of it.

In Millwood that little red station still stands just the way it did over forty years ago.Last i check a for sale sign was on it and they build condo's directly across the street.I'm thinking of going in that broken window and checking out the inside.

Did they scrap The Put?

[Tom Curtin]

I'm curious Art . . . can you be more specific about which bridge you mean?

[Art from yonker's]

Saw mill parkway north from yonkers, the next exit after the DobbsFerry Asford ave. exit.You'll see the old train staion that was a mexican resturant named the cantina. I use to fish in the lake, the lake has a concrete bridge that you walk across to get to the train path .About 20 feet from that spot is another bridge that the train crossed.Tom if you have'nt sen it you'll love it, you can sense the history there. 

[Tom Curtin]

OK, now I got it.  You're talking about the deck truss.  Yes,  I agree it is a classic.

That location by the way, was Woodlands station. 

 

[Art from yonker's]

It's sad they scrapped those two forgotten box cars.The one at the eastview exit was truley forgotten,but sadly scrapped in the place it stood.

[Art from yonker's]

I think we should start a new search for any remains of the old put.Let's get a 30 man expedition going! Armed with cameras in hand.

[Art from yonker's]

in Yonker's we have alot of untapped Old Put areas.I grew up on saratoga Ave. and when we went to church next to lawrence St.We would take a short cut to get there .The short cut was a steep hill,but it was'nt just a pile of dirt ,you took these stairs that went down the whole hill. So like i was saying there are many things to study on the Yonker's side.

[Tom Curtin]

Here's another piece of Put archaeology:  a mile or so north of Woodlands Lake, just before the exit ramp to the NYS Thruway north, on the east side of the Parkway there's an obvious stairway down.  Where does it go?  I have never investigated but I assume down to the site of Worthington station.

[Art from yonker's]

It's a great piece of history that helped to make westchester great.The map of the train was well done,it hits the middle of each town perfect.

[Art from yonker's]

Where is the train itself? Was it shipped some place else after it's final run? Where is the Old Put?

[Art from yonker's]

did they scrap the train? I'd love to see any remains of the train itself.

[daveklepper]

Regarding "the train", the last days of passenger service saw Alco road-switchers pulling the same arch-roofed very plain non-air-conditioned commuter cars that were the mainstay of the operation during the steam era when 4-6-0 ten wheelers, some still with slide valves and inside valve gear, were the power.  These are the same design coaches that were regulars in Boston suburban service.  The Alco power undoubtadly saw further service on the NYC system, and the coaches probably went to Boston for further use.  They didn't last long, because by 1957, they were largely replaced by donwgraded standard long-distance coaches rebuilt with higher density seating, sealed smaller windows, and air-conditioning.